Dedicated Agency to tackle Trafficking of women and girls
Dedicated Agency to tackle Trafficking of women and girls
An inter-Ministerial consultation has been sought
on the proposal for setting up of a national level coordination agency to be
called ‘Organised Crime Investigation Agency (OCIA)’ with the objective to
investigate, collect intelligence of the cases of human trafficking and other
organized crimes, train the law enforcement officers and coordinate in rescue
and rehabilitation of the victims.
An inter-Ministerial Committee under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development has been constituted for preparing a comprehensive legislation on various aspects of Human Trafficking.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary in a written reply to a question by Smt. Renuka Chowdhury in the Rajya Sabha today.
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Strategy to deal with Terror Financing and Money Laundering
The Government has a well established strategy and
institutional mechanism to effectively deal with terrorist financing and money
laundering problem. The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967(UAPA) and
the Prevention of Money laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA) are effective
instrumentalities to combat offences relating to Terrorist Financing and Money
laundering. A special Combating Financing of Terrorism (CFT) Cell has been
created in the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2011, to coordinate with the Central
Intelligence/Enforcement Agencies and the State Law Enforcement Agencies for an
integrated approach to tackle the problem of terror funding. Also a Terror
Funding and Fake Currency Cell has been set up in the National Investigation
Agency to investigate Terror Funding cases.
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 has been strengthened by amendments in 2013 which inter-alia includes enlarging the scope of proceeds of terrorism to include any property intended to be used for terrorism, enlarging the scope of Section 17 relating to punishment for raising funds for terrorist act by including within its scope, raising of funds both from legitimate or illegitimate sources by a terrorist organization, terrorist gang or by an individual terrorist, and includes within its scope offences by companies, societies or trusts.
The PMLA has also been strengthened in 2013 by incorporating the provisions relating to removing the monetary threshold for schedule offences, strengthening confiscation and provisional attachment powers with regard to money laundering investigation, covering new financial institutions and designated non-financial business and professions within the scope of PMLA, enhancing the powers of Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to access information from banks and financial institutions and introduction of broad range of sanctions under PMLA including sanctions against designated Directors and employees of reporting entities. Thus, both PMLA and UAPA have sufficiently stringent provisions to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
The Central and State Law Enforcement Agencies have registered a total of 217 FIRs and 132 charge sheets have been filed in various Courts in terror financing cases since 2006 till date. These also include 11 cases investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The Financial Acton Task Force (FATF) team from Paris, France had visited India in 2011 to monitor compliance of India’s Action Plan with FATF standards and since then India has complied with all FATF requirements and Action Plan items. It has been accepted and approved by the FATF in its Plenary Meeting held in June, 2013.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary in a written reply to a question by Shri Ranjib Biswal in the Rajya Sabha today.
The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 has been strengthened by amendments in 2013 which inter-alia includes enlarging the scope of proceeds of terrorism to include any property intended to be used for terrorism, enlarging the scope of Section 17 relating to punishment for raising funds for terrorist act by including within its scope, raising of funds both from legitimate or illegitimate sources by a terrorist organization, terrorist gang or by an individual terrorist, and includes within its scope offences by companies, societies or trusts.
The PMLA has also been strengthened in 2013 by incorporating the provisions relating to removing the monetary threshold for schedule offences, strengthening confiscation and provisional attachment powers with regard to money laundering investigation, covering new financial institutions and designated non-financial business and professions within the scope of PMLA, enhancing the powers of Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) to access information from banks and financial institutions and introduction of broad range of sanctions under PMLA including sanctions against designated Directors and employees of reporting entities. Thus, both PMLA and UAPA have sufficiently stringent provisions to combat money laundering and terrorist financing.
The Central and State Law Enforcement Agencies have registered a total of 217 FIRs and 132 charge sheets have been filed in various Courts in terror financing cases since 2006 till date. These also include 11 cases investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The Financial Acton Task Force (FATF) team from Paris, France had visited India in 2011 to monitor compliance of India’s Action Plan with FATF standards and since then India has complied with all FATF requirements and Action Plan items. It has been accepted and approved by the FATF in its Plenary Meeting held in June, 2013.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary in a written reply to a question by Shri Ranjib Biswal in the Rajya Sabha today.
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Plan to extradite persons who have committed crimes on the nation
The Government of India continues to make efforts
to get extradited fugitive criminals from foreign countries and for this purpose
India has signed extradition treaties and extradition arrangements with several
countries.
The Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) send the extradition proposals to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which after due examination forward them to the Ministry of External Affairs for taking up the matter with the concerned foreign countries as the Ministry of External Affairs is the nodal Ministry for Extradition.
The National Investigation Agency [NIA] has made extradition request for extraditing (1) David Coleman Headley @ Daood Gilani (2) Tahawwur Hussain Rana from USA; Willy Naruenartwanich @ Willy Narue from Thailand; Abdulla Haji @ Haji Abdulla @ Amitab Bachan Haji from Saudi Arabia; and (1) Moideen @ Moideenabba Ummar Byari (2) Abdul Salam @ Podi Salem from UAE.
As a result of efforts made by the Government of India, 59 fugitive criminals have been brought back to India since 2002, to face trial in India.
In addition, Interpol Wing of Central Bureau of Investigation [CBI] has got published 664 Red Notices on the basis of requests from CBI Branches as well as from other Law Enforcement Agencies.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary in a written reply to a question by Shri T. Rathinavel in the Rajya Sabha today.
The Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) send the extradition proposals to the Ministry of Home Affairs, which after due examination forward them to the Ministry of External Affairs for taking up the matter with the concerned foreign countries as the Ministry of External Affairs is the nodal Ministry for Extradition.
The National Investigation Agency [NIA] has made extradition request for extraditing (1) David Coleman Headley @ Daood Gilani (2) Tahawwur Hussain Rana from USA; Willy Naruenartwanich @ Willy Narue from Thailand; Abdulla Haji @ Haji Abdulla @ Amitab Bachan Haji from Saudi Arabia; and (1) Moideen @ Moideenabba Ummar Byari (2) Abdul Salam @ Podi Salem from UAE.
As a result of efforts made by the Government of India, 59 fugitive criminals have been brought back to India since 2002, to face trial in India.
In addition, Interpol Wing of Central Bureau of Investigation [CBI] has got published 664 Red Notices on the basis of requests from CBI Branches as well as from other Law Enforcement Agencies.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary in a written reply to a question by Shri T. Rathinavel in the Rajya Sabha today.
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Review of security scenario in aftermath of Paris attack
The Government has issued advisory to all State
Governments/UTs to take suitable preventive measures in and around foreign
missions, tourist spots and community facilities frequented by foreigners to
avoid any untoward incident. The States/UTs have also been advised to review
intelligence about ISIS activities to identify plans, targets, areas vulnerable
to attack by terrorist organizations and to take appropriate action to neutralize
potential threats, if any.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary in a written reply to a question by Dr. T. Subbarami Reddy in the Rajya Sabha today.
This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Haribhai Parathibhai Chaudhary in a written reply to a question by Dr. T. Subbarami Reddy in the Rajya Sabha today.
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Union Home Minister supports the odd-even car scheme
Shri Rajnath Singh seeks due care and protection for the aged, handicapped, women and relatively less well-off persons, while implementing the scheme
Shri Rajnath Singh seeks due care and protection for the aged, handicapped, women and relatively less well-off persons, while implementing the scheme
The Chief Minister of Delhi Shri Arvind Kejriwal
called on the Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh here today. He discussed
the issue of the proposal to allow odd and even number vehicles to ply on
alternate days in Delhi.
The Union Home Minister expressed his concern over the growing levels of pollution not only in Delhi but in the entire NCR region. He expressed his concern especially with regard to the aged, the growing up children and other vulnerable persons, and expressed the need to take necessary steps to reduce the level of pollution in the NCR region. He pointed out that it is the poor who bear the brunt of pollution. The Home Minister stated that the Government of India would cooperate in implementing the proposed scheme and would ask Delhi Police to enforce it in the best possible manner.
The Home Minister also advised the Chief Minister of Delhi to take the following in account while finalizing the scheme:-
(i) Vehicles for the handicapped.
(ii) Vehicles handling emergencies, whether classified as emergency vehicles or not and / or to increase number of ambulances.
(iii) Vehicles used by working women, driving alone.
(iv) Two-wheelers because they belong to relatively less well-off persons, who may be living in areas which are not within easy access of effective public transportation. The Home Minister reminded the Chief Minister that 57 lakh out of 88 lakh vehicles (65%) registered in Delhi are 2-wheelers.
(v) The need to improve public transportation that would be capable of daily taking the load of half the number of persons currently travelling in cars.
(vi) To guard against the possibility of misuse of the scheme by the rich, who can afford two or more vehicles, putting at disadvantage only the relatively less well-off, who can afford only one vehicle.
(vii) To have a clear policy on the visitors from nearby towns such as Chandigarh, Ambala, Rohtak, Alwar, Rewari, etc.
(viii) To co-ordinate with other towns in the NCR to encourage them to follow a similar policy, so that actual benefit accrues.
(ix) The need for Delhi Govt. to install a large number of CCTVs, since the effective monitoring of the scheme will require substantial technological support.
Shri Rajnath Singh advised Shri Arvind Kejriwal to also look at sources of pollution other than vehicles, especially industrial and commercial units and establishments not following emission norms, burning of leaves or other fires, etc.
The Union Home Minister also expressed the view that the Govt. of NCT Delhi needs to look at long-term solution even with regard to vehicles. Govt. of NCT Delhi could, for example, examine the feasibility of phasing out non-CNG vehicles from the NCT region in the next three to five years, by registering only CNG/Hybrid vehicles, and once the non-CNG, non-hybrid vehicles are phased out, even than taxing the CNG vehicles at a rate significantly higher than the rate of tax on hybrid vehicles. The Home Minister stated that such and more alternate ways should be examined by the Govt. of NCT Delhi in all their implications and ramifications including the feasibility of enough competitive availability of non-petrol, non-diesel vehicles, and feasibility of converting, in a phased manner, petrol/diesel pumps into CNG pumps.
The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh stated that all such schemes should be finalized only after widespread public consultations. It would ensure that all the stakeholders are heard and the schemes receive good support from the resident population once they are implemented.
The Union Home Minister expressed his concern over the growing levels of pollution not only in Delhi but in the entire NCR region. He expressed his concern especially with regard to the aged, the growing up children and other vulnerable persons, and expressed the need to take necessary steps to reduce the level of pollution in the NCR region. He pointed out that it is the poor who bear the brunt of pollution. The Home Minister stated that the Government of India would cooperate in implementing the proposed scheme and would ask Delhi Police to enforce it in the best possible manner.
The Home Minister also advised the Chief Minister of Delhi to take the following in account while finalizing the scheme:-
(i) Vehicles for the handicapped.
(ii) Vehicles handling emergencies, whether classified as emergency vehicles or not and / or to increase number of ambulances.
(iii) Vehicles used by working women, driving alone.
(iv) Two-wheelers because they belong to relatively less well-off persons, who may be living in areas which are not within easy access of effective public transportation. The Home Minister reminded the Chief Minister that 57 lakh out of 88 lakh vehicles (65%) registered in Delhi are 2-wheelers.
(v) The need to improve public transportation that would be capable of daily taking the load of half the number of persons currently travelling in cars.
(vi) To guard against the possibility of misuse of the scheme by the rich, who can afford two or more vehicles, putting at disadvantage only the relatively less well-off, who can afford only one vehicle.
(vii) To have a clear policy on the visitors from nearby towns such as Chandigarh, Ambala, Rohtak, Alwar, Rewari, etc.
(viii) To co-ordinate with other towns in the NCR to encourage them to follow a similar policy, so that actual benefit accrues.
(ix) The need for Delhi Govt. to install a large number of CCTVs, since the effective monitoring of the scheme will require substantial technological support.
Shri Rajnath Singh advised Shri Arvind Kejriwal to also look at sources of pollution other than vehicles, especially industrial and commercial units and establishments not following emission norms, burning of leaves or other fires, etc.
The Union Home Minister also expressed the view that the Govt. of NCT Delhi needs to look at long-term solution even with regard to vehicles. Govt. of NCT Delhi could, for example, examine the feasibility of phasing out non-CNG vehicles from the NCT region in the next three to five years, by registering only CNG/Hybrid vehicles, and once the non-CNG, non-hybrid vehicles are phased out, even than taxing the CNG vehicles at a rate significantly higher than the rate of tax on hybrid vehicles. The Home Minister stated that such and more alternate ways should be examined by the Govt. of NCT Delhi in all their implications and ramifications including the feasibility of enough competitive availability of non-petrol, non-diesel vehicles, and feasibility of converting, in a phased manner, petrol/diesel pumps into CNG pumps.
The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh stated that all such schemes should be finalized only after widespread public consultations. It would ensure that all the stakeholders are heard and the schemes receive good support from the resident population once they are implemented.
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